Driving while feeling a hypo coming on

[MissMJ73]

Thank you all. Some useful and very helpful advice. I know what to do next time and I’m going to get some treat size haribo to keep in the car too just in case.

 

[EllieM]

10 mins later I checked and 3.2. Checked again after another 3.4. It took me nearly an hour to get it back to over 5.

Just be aware that the libre is notoriously inaccurate outside the 4 to 7 range. I'd honestly recommend keeping a glucometer around as a backup for hypos. If you've got time, test with the glucometer first before you treat the hypo. (Obviously, if there's any chance the hypo is real you treat first, but a back up blood test might keep you from overdosing the hypo treatment if it turns out the libre is inaccurate.)

 

[Antje77]

And it will take the Libre 15 to 20 minutes to detect the rise in BG

I've noticed my Libres take way longer than that after a hypo to show a rise. I suspect after a shortage of glucose the body sends available glucose to the important body parts first, leaving the back of my arm for last. I have no clue if that's true, though

 

[Jaylee]

Oddly @EllieM , the Glimp app I use to scan the sensor is pretty spot on to my meter or at least 0.8Mmol out?
But the Librelink app interprets a good couple of points higher...

The other thing to remember with Libre (or any CGM) is it reads 15 to 20 minutes behind finger pricks. Therefore, it will detect hypos 15 to 20 minutes after they start.
And it will take the Libre 15 to 20 minutes to detect the rise in BG.
I am too impatient to wait that long so always test with finger pricks after a hypo.

@Kim Possible , I wouldn't disagree with that. The hypo I was sorting yesterday was still curving lower whilst my meter was telling me I was comming up..? Or had my meter caught me on the downturn??
There can be as much as 20 minutes lag with a traditional meter due to blood flow through the body..?

 

[Dian Fourie]

Last night I was driving home from work and was about five minutes away when I felt the symptoms of a hypo. There was no where to stop safe and legally as double yellows or residents parking or too narrow streets or all three. So knowing I was so close to home I made the decision to carry on knowing as well when I got home I wouldn’t have to worry. Obviously if I had further to go or driving down a motorway I’d have stopped long before. I’d tested before I left work 20 mins earlier and was well above 5 so don’t know why it dropped suddenly.

Just wondering what others would have done in that situation?

I would’ve stop and if someone would’ve say something I would told them I’m a diabetic and that I need to stop.

 

[Glucobabu]

That happened to me at work the other day. I was 3.6 so I shouted to my colleague to get me some small cans of full fat lemonade I keep in the fridge at work while I dug out the biscuits and started munching. 10 mins later I checked and 3.2. Checked again after another 3.4. It took me nearly an hour to get it back to over 5. Luckily this time it was well before driving but when I got home 2 hours later it was still only at 6.9! Then next morning shot right up to 20 lol.

This sounds so familiar to me. Sometimes it defies all logic!

 

[tom58]

I always have a screw top bottle of Coca Cola red in the centre console. The bubbles in the drink seem to speed the release of sugar into my blood like champagne does with alcohol.

Probably would use Lucozade in the UK but you can't that here in La Belle.

French lorry driver suggested this... the coke, not the champagne.

 

[Lulu9101112]

I don’t drive however I cycle when I cycle I always carry a bag of sweets or fat drink in my backpack and I If i need to stop I just stop on the pavement when it’s safe.

If your driving it would just be sensible to stop when it’s safe.

 

[carol50]

Hello all in the UK it is recommended that if your having a hypo while driving you should pull over as soon as possible eat or drink and wait a minimum of 45 minutes before trying to drive again and of course check bloods before proceeding to drive again to make sure they are up. They also say that diabetics should now check blood sugars every two hours while driving.

 

[carol50]

Last night I was driving home from work and was about five minutes away when I felt the symptoms of a hypo. There was no where to stop safe and legally as double yellows or residents parking or too narrow streets or all three. So knowing I was so close to home I made the decision to carry on knowing as well when I got home I wouldn’t have to worry. Obviously if I had further to go or driving down a motorway I’d have stopped long before. I’d tested before I left work 20 mins earlier and was well above 5 so don’t know why it dropped suddenly.

Just wondering what others would have done in that situation?

Buy Dextro energy tabs and eat at least 3 they go straight into the system

 

[lindibalou]

Last night I was driving home from work and was about five minutes away when I felt the symptoms of a hypo. There was no where to stop safe and legally as double yellows or residents parking or too narrow streets or all three. So knowing I was so close to home I made the decision to carry on knowing as well when I got home I wouldn’t have to worry. Obviously if I had further to go or driving down a motorway I’d have stopped long before. I’d tested before I left work 20 mins earlier and was well above 5 so don’t know why it dropped suddenly.

Just wondering what others would have done in that situation?

I recently found myself in exactly that situation. I had Jelly babies in my driver's door pocket, so pulled them out and stuffed them in my mouth one after another. Fortunately I was almost pulling into a car park, so drove in, saw a space and pulled in, scraping the side of a new Range Rover as I did so. That hypo cost me £1200! Fortunately, I am now off insulin ( having been weaned off steroids for another condition). It is an awful situation to find yourself in, as your brain becomes so foggy.

 

[buckmr2]

My levels were at 7.8 an hour before I set off so thought I was ok. Thank you for your comments.

Worth testing just before you drive then as a lot can change in that hour.
Even better test 10 mins before and then again just before you intend to drive so you can see if levels going up or down.
ALWAYS HAVE QUICK ACTING SWEETS OR THE LIKE WITHIN EASY REACH WHEN DRIVING TO SAVE THE SITUATION YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN

 

[agwagw]

Hi JuicyJ, agree with others that it is an emergency, so pulling over if you feel BG is dropping fast is the best option. I keep some glucogel in the car door pocket for emergencies - it is too expensive for day to day mild hypos - when kept in the mouth, on the gums etc I find it is much faster acting then glucotabs or sweets.

On your major fluctuations, are you doing more exercise then usual - that really sends mine down, then up when I compensate etc.

Or, are you having more carbo then usual and going into a roller-coaster with insulin? I used to do that, but a low carb diet has helped greatly.